


Expectations

by MusicalRaven



Category: Welcome to Night Vale
Genre: Aromantic, Bittersweet, Canon Related, Drabble, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-18
Updated: 2018-04-18
Packaged: 2019-04-24 18:49:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 512
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14361468
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MusicalRaven/pseuds/MusicalRaven
Summary: Janice burns the Registry of Middle School Crushes.





	Expectations

**Author's Note:**

> As soon as I listened to the end of episode 71, I knew I had to write something about it. I know Janice likely isn't canonically aro, but I loved the idea of it that I got listening to that scene

The scrublands were quiet this time of night, the soft parting of sand underneath wheels the only sound to be heard. A lone girl rolled down a small hill and down to an empty creek bed. Janice was gripping a sheaf of paper tight in one hand, her eyes fixed ahead. And as she rolled to a stop, she let out a long sigh. Finally, her plan would be complete.

She glanced at the papers, contents obscured by folds. She wasn't terribly curious as to the words written on them. No one in her school were shy about admitting who they liked. Much too frequently she'd been accidentally caught up in someone's daydream about how their future partner was so cute, weren't they? God they just wanted to give them a kiss right on the lips. But they can't know that. It'll be a secret. One Janice didn't care to remember.

She sighed again. She also knew what wasn't on it. What would never be on it. It wouldn't be long before the city council would notice the absence of her name on the registry and they would wonder why, no doubt thinking her criminal somehow. Or maybe just weird. She wrinkled her nose. Both options were equally horrible.

Janice quickly tossed the papers into the creek bed, already reaching to open the small secret compartment in her left arm rest. It held her secret agent tools, like a long spiral of heavy rope, a small carrier pigeon with talons big enough to gouge the eyes from her enemies and a box of waterproof matches hand crafted for this purpose. She pulled the matches from under the pigeon, careful to dodge the ruthless talons, and shut the compartment tight.

She lit the first match she pulled, hesitating only a moment before flinging it atop the shief of papers, now scattered about the creek bed. They lit quickly, the edges turning gray then black then disappearing completely in the smoke that began to cloud the sky. Janice scooted herself back, eyes watering from the fumes, but she was smiling.

As she watched the smoke swirl higher, she thought of a name. Kelsey Burbank. That would be her first crush. Now that the papers were gone, no one could contest this. The thought made Janice smile wider. 

She imagined her uncle asking, yet again, if she had any crushes on any boys or girls or others in her grade yet. But this time, this time she'd have an answer. An answer for when her classmates bugged her, for when her dad elbowed her as he caught her staring at yet another person she just wanted to make friends with. Now she could point at Kelsey and say, "That is who my crush is," and no one would question her.

Janice watched the last page turn black and join the smoke, the registry no more. She turned her chair around, eyes on the radio station towering far above town. And she whispered a quiet, "Thank you, Uncle," before taking a deep breath and wheeling home.


End file.
